Mt 5:38-42
Some youths have ever asked me before if everyone were to pray and just do nothing to correct the wrongdoings of a person, especially a leader, when will the wrong things be rectified? At the back of my mind, I was thinking definitely, Jesus is not asking me to ‘offer no resistance to one who is evil’ at the expense of being abused. Rather, my question is even if I confront those people at the time, especially leaders, are they ready to listen to what I have got to say or will they become more resistance against to what I have got to say, taking what I have got to say as an attack? Am I talking to them to prove that I am right so as to be self righteous or am I there to improve on the situations and help? Is it God’s time for anyone to speak up yet? Am I even the right person to be called by God to speak to them about the issues?
I am not saying that I do nothing about the situations. There is time for everything. If the other parties are just not receptive to what I have got to say, I may worsen the situations. Sometimes, I got scolded for not speaking up and seemed to be bullied. My reason for not speaking up despite accusations is not due to the fact that I do not have the guts to confront the people involved. If this is what you think, you are absolutely wrong. Test my guts and you will see the results when it is time for me to speak up. It’s just that I do not want to aggravate the situations and get more innocent people involved. I do not try to win people to my sides as that does not mean that I am right. Besides, by confronting the very people who have accused me, it does not help if it is done at the wrong time. Not only are they not receptive, they will be angrier, distorting all my words of concern as a personal attack to them. Is that the result I want to see?
Over many years of hard lessons, I have learnt when to keep my mouth shut where it seems that ‘Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles.’, being a coward. My purpose is not to win but to wait for the right time to speak up. Sometimes, being confrontational does not help. Wait till both parties calm down and wait for the best time in clarifying issues with clear mind and calm heart will be wiser. It is not about winning and to be superior over the others. It is about how to address the issues so that my relationship with the other parties may improve though not all people can be our friends. But, at least, we do not bear grudges against one another. Being a Christian, is all about being the face of God to the others. God is Love. So, my whole life is a process to becoming a better person who loves more and more like Christ. If Jesus’ teaching is all about winning, he would not have slapped himself by asking us, ‘When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.’ He is not asking us to be idiots for others to abuse us. But, he is asking us to love by being forgiving and not calculating who forgives more. He will definitely protect us if we are obeying him and that calls for faith. Sometimes, I may seem like a fool to the world that I keep quiet and get bullied. But, I am not. I am just waiting for God’s time for me to speak up when the other party involved is ready to listen or it is God’s time for him/her to listen. It is better to be a fool for a moment to the world so that I am wise in the eyes of God. Well, I am still in the midst of exercising self control over my quick temper at times so that I learn to be a calm person to handle situations and difficult people with wisdom and maturity, learning to forgive others more at the same time.
With Love,
Elena
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